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Jason, Service Technician

Category: Electrical

Satisfied Customers: 4246

Experience: Over 20 years of experience in all types of installations, troubleshooting, and repairs.

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okay so I am installing a new small pendant light fixture..the

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okay so I am installing a new small pendant light fixture..the old fixture box only has 2 wires no ground..the new lamp has a green screw on bracket..my guess is that i attach the bare copper wireof new kamp to the green screw on new bracket?

Since you don't have a ground wire in the fixture box, that obviously gives you nothing (substantial) to connect the fixture's ground wire to. In these cases, it doesn't really matter what you do with the fixture's ground wire. Connecting it to the bracket doesn't ground the fixture, unless the junction box is metal, and is somehow grounded (possibly by a metal flexible conduit containing the circuit wires).

Jason :

However, it won't hurt anything to go ahead and connect it to the green screw on the bracket. That's not a bad way to go, as it immobilizes the fixture's ground wire, and keeps it from accidentally working its way into one of the other splices.

Customer:

it is a metal box and has 2 screws inside but are not green..i just feel weird leaving it "hang"

Customer:

okay great!!

Customer:

just wanted to double check before i completed project thank you so much

Jason :

I understand. Since the box is metal, it could be connected by conduit that you can't see. That would mean the box is grounded, and using the screw on the bracket is the best way to go.